Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has dismissed the allegations made by detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan against Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
Omokri described the claims as a “false flag” operation meant to divert attention from revelations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allegedly funded Boko Haram.
In a statement on Thursday via his verified X account, Omokri questioned the timing of Gambaryan’s accusations, pointing out that they came just an hour after U.S. Congressman Scott Perry claimed that some American officials had been channeling funds to Boko Haram.
“This is a man who has been roaming free in the United States for weeks. Why now?” Omokri asked, suggesting that Gambaryan was working for foreign agencies involved in economic sabotage against Nigeria. He accused Binance of facilitating the illegal outflow of $25 billion annually from the country.
Omokri further linked Binance’s removal from Nigeria to the naira’s rapid appreciation, noting “Nigerians may also recall that after Binance was delisted by the government and ceased operating in Nigeria, the naira rose sharply, appreciating by 36.4% in one day.
“This prompted President Tinubu to issue a statement on video praising the ‘seismic shift’ of our currency, which had gone from N1,598 to $1 on Thursday, 21 March 2024, to N1,382 to $1 the following day, Friday, 22 March 2024.”
He argued that Gambaryan’s claims were an attempt to overshadow recent reports that USAID made multimillion-dollar annual payments to Boko Haram.
Omokri alleged that these payments coincided with periods when the Obama and Biden administrations refused to sell weapons to Nigeria, suggesting a deliberate effort to undermine the country’s fight against terrorism.
Defending the National Security Adviser, Omokri stated, “Malam Nuhu Ribadu is an incorruptible leader who, as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, refused a $15 million cash bribe in 2006 and instead deposited the funds at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Tigran Gambaryan is an allegedly corrupt economic saboteur who worked against Nigeria’s economic interests for people whom Congressman Perry has now exposed as funders of terror.
“Who should you believe? The answer is obvious. This is a pure case of corruption fighting back.”
